Toy car doupling and buffer.



PATBNTED DB0. 31, 1907. W. R. HABERLIN.

TOY GAR COUPLING AND BUFFER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1907.

W/ TNE SSE S rus Nomus PETERS ca., wAsmNcmN. v. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. HABERLIN, OF BRIDGEIORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MINIATURE RAILWAY COMPANY, OF BRIDG-EPOR-T, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

TOY CAR COUPLING AND BUFFER.

Patented Dec. 31, 1907.

Application led June l, 1907. Serial No. 376.770.

T 0 all 107mm it may concern.'

Be it known that I, lVILLiAu R. HABER- LiN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Toy Car Coupler and Buffer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive coupler and bul'l'er for the cars of toy railway systems that will permit longitudinal movement of the cars relatively to each other without detachment and will by oscillation permit the cars to run on sharp curves without danger of derailment.

lith these and other objects in view I have devised the novel toy railway coupler and bu'l'er of which the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing is a specification, reference characters being used to indicate the several parts:

Figure l is an inverted plan view of a toy railway car illustrating the application thereto of my novel coupler and buffer; Fig. 2 a side elevation corresponding therewith, the bottom of the car being in vertical section to illustrate the construction and operation of the coupler and buffer; and Eig. 3 is an end view of' a toy railway car provided with my novel coupler and buffer.

l() denotes the body of the car, ll the truck, l2 the axles which rotate in the trucks, and 13 the wheels which are secured to the axles in th'e usual manner. rIhe cars, trucks and wheels are in practice ordinarily struck up and formed from sheet metal.

l-l denotes the draw bars which are provided at their inner ends with lugs l5 and at their outer ends on opposite sides with lugs I6. Lugs 15 pass through holes 17 in the bottom of the car and are turned over upon the bottom thereof, which secures the inner ends of the draw bars to the car but permits the draw bars to swing freely. It should be noted that the pivotal points of the draw bars are placed well toward the mid-length of the car. Y

I8 denotes a guard-plate at each end of the car which is provided with a horizontal slot I9.

20 denotes the coupler and buffer which is provided at its outer end with an enlargement 2 l having a central transverse engaging slot 22- and with a downwardly extending coupling lug 23 which is adapted to engage the slot in the coupler and buffer of the next car, as clearly shown in Figs. l. and 2. The coupler and buffer extends through the slot 19 in the guard-plate7 by which it is supported, and is provided at its inner end on opposite sides with lugs 24k. Lugs 24 upon the coupler and buffer are closed about the draw bar back of lugs I6, and lugs'l are closed about the coupler and buffer outside of lugs 24. The closing of lugs 16 and 24. about the coupler and buffer and draw bar, respectively, secures said parts together, but leaves the coupler and buffer free to slide longitudinally relatively to the draw bar, as clearly indicated in Figs. l and 2. I thus provide a yielding coupler and buffer which permits the cars to move longitudinally relatively to each other and takes up the shock, owing to the friction -of the partson each other, when the cars are forced toward each other. rlhe pivoting of the draw bar near the center of the car and the oscillation of the coupler and buffer in the slot in the guardplate permits the cars to turn freely on curves without danger of derailment.

The operation of coupling is simply to move the cars toward each other, draw the coupler and buffer of one car outward, raise it slightly and place the coupling lug 23 in the engaging slot 22 of the coupler and buffer of the contiguous car. It will be obvious that the coupling lug of either coupler and buffer may be placed in engagement with the engaging slot of the contiguous coupler and buffer. In the drawing I have shown the coupler and buHer at one end of the car as placed above the draw bar and the coupler and buifer at the other end of the car as placed under the draw bar. This, however, is immaterial, as either arrangement is perfectly practicable.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A coupler and buffer for toy railway cars comprising a pivoted draw bar, a coupler and buffer provided with a coupling lug and an engaging slot and lugs upon the coupler and buffer and the draw bar, respectively, which engage the contiguous parts, leaving the coupler and buffer free to slide longitudinally relatively to the draw bar, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. A toy railway car having draw bars pivoted near its mid-length and extending outward and having lugs at their outer ends,

and couplers and buiiers provided with ooupling lugs and engaging slots at their outer ends and at their inner ends with lugs, the lugs upon the onter ends of the draw bars and the inner ends of the couplers and buffers engaging the contiguous parts whereby said parts are secured together7 leaving the couplers and buffers free to slide longitudinally.

3. A toy railway oar having holes in the bottom near its mid-length, draw bars having lugs passing through said holes and turned downward to pivotally secure the draw bars in place and lugs on opposite sides at their outer ends, and couplers and buffers having at their outer ends coupling lugs and engaging slots and at their inner ends on opposite sides lugs, the lugs upon the outer ends of the draw bars and the inner ends of the couplers 1nd buIers inclosing the Contiguous memers.

tiguous parts, substantially as described, for' the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature, 1n presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. I-IABERLIN.

Titnesses I A. M. Woosrnn, S. W. ATi-IERTON. 

